You probably clicked on this article because you can’t possibly believe that your guilty pleasure shouldn’t actually make you feel guilty at all. The truth is that it has been proven that eating dark chocolate is good for you. Don’t believe me? Here are the facts:
1. Dark chocolate can help you lose weight.
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A piece of dark chocolate should be part of your new diet. It has been proven (by some researchers at the University of Copenhagen, who are now my favorite people) that dark chocolate can lessen cravings for sweet, salty and fatty foods.
So, instead of getting to that point when all you can dream of is junk food, eat a piece of dark chocolate. By eating right when you start to feel hungry, you can maintain your diet and quiet those mid-day stomach growls. Oh, and you’ll get to eat the delicious candy, too.
2. Dark chocolate is good for your heart.
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And not only because your boyfriend surprised you with a box of them. Swedish scientists conducted a 9-year-long study on over 31,000 women who ate either one or two servings of dark chocolate each week. They found that these women cut their risk for heart failure by as much as a third. Basically, eating a piece of chocolate every week can help you live longer.
Wait, it gets better. In Germany (anyone else noticing that America needs to step up their game?), a study was conducted that found a correlation between eating a square of dark chocolate each day and 39% lower blood pressure and reduced risk of heart attack and stroke.
3. Dark chocolate reduces stress.
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You’re probably thinking that you could’ve told me that one. But according to Swiss scientists, consuming an ounce and a half of dark chocolate every day lowers stress hormone levels and partially alleviates the metabolic effects that stress can have on the body.
Think of your go-to “I’m stressed; F*** this” food. Now replace it with a square of chocolate.
There are many more reasons that I could go on and on about, but why don’t you just trust me on this one and go buy yourself a bag of dark chocolate.
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Note: Many brands of dark chocolate are filled with artificial ingredients that counteract these benefits. Brands that you want to purchase: Pascha, Godiva, Ghirardelli Intense Dark, Taza, Vivani. Brands that you want to avoid: Dove (sorry, everyone), Hershey’s, M&Ms, Milky Way, Nestle.
Need more chocolate?